2.2 Tillandsia lutheriana (J.R.Grant) Kessous & A.F.Costa, comb. nov. (Fig. 6)

Basionym: — Vriesea lutheriana Grant (1992: 114) . Type: — COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Angeles, between San Vito de Java and Agua Buena, Pacific side near Lanana, ca. 1,200 m elev., 16 January 1991, Skotak s.n. preserved as Grant 91-01475 (holotype CR, isotypes SEL!, WS, US!) .

Description: —see Grant (1992).

Distribution: —This species occurs as an epiphyte in Costa Rica, ca. 1,200 m above sea level.

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes: —Despite the ligulate leaf blades (as commonly observed in Vriesea), we observed morphological characters of Tillandsia subg. Pseudovriesea, such as the presence of a conduplicatespiral stigma and bluish-gray petals (Grant 1992). Thus, the set of these traits and the geographical distribution (Central America) lead us to propose this combination in Tillandsia . This taxon is closely related to Tillandsia duidae, distinguished mainly by the robustness of its inflorescence and the bluish-gray petals (vs. blue in T. duidae) (Grant 1992).

In the protologue, the specimen at US is not mentioned; however, we found this specimen in the collection of types in this herbarium. Machado et al. (2020) discussed the morphological similarity between Vriesea lutheriana and species with compound inflorescences of the Cipuropsis-Mezobromelia clade (from Barfuss et al. 2016). However, this species was nested in a well-supported Tillandsia clade by its nuclear gene and partial plastome phylogenetic analysis (Machado et al. 2020). The species is known only from the type collection.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ lutheriana ” refers to the bromeliad expert, Harry E. Luther (1952–2012).